Vice President’s Voice – Fall 2009

The CPT Celebrates Fifth Anniversary

The CPT celebrated its five year anniversary this year. We started in 2004 with a conference and a dream. Five years later, we’ve sponsored courses and given awards across the country. We’ve added a full-time professional development director to our staff, too. We’re most excited about our newest program to bring the CPT to college campuses. Our “Be One” campaign mailer has reached you and I encourage you to think about becoming one of the people to help make a difference. Need some inspiration? See the movie, “The Blind Side.” One woman helps one boy change the course of his life and so many more are inspired and affected. It’s one of those movies where the entire audience cheers along the way and applauds at the end. We’ve landed on our first campus with the Student Center for the Public Trust (SCPT). Our goal is simple—help affect change in future business leaders. Warren Buffet once said: “In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. But if they don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.” The SCPT will help lay the foundation for a future of business leaders dedicated to integrity and ethical leadership. As has become our custom, we held a “CPT Night” during NASBA’s Annual Meeting. This year, the effervescent NASBA Meetings Director, Tom Kenny, played game show host during a hilarious rendition of “The Family Feud.” Many thanks to the good sports from the AICPA, the CGA, the NASBA Board of Directors and the TN Board of Accountancy who gathered as “families” to participate and then were generous enough to donate their prize money to the CPT. Although the AICPA team ended with the most points, we were all winners that night.